Blue Note Crossroads Straight Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

Blue Note Bourbon has been making waves in the Wonderful World of Whiskey. Founded in 2013, B.R. Distilling Company is the oldest legal distillery in Memphis, Tennessee, and has two flagship brands:  Blue Note and Riverset Rye. B.R. Distilling changed ownership in 2017 and aggressively marketed its whiskeys.

 

The newest release from Blue Note is Crossroads, a straight Bourbon crafted in Memphis. The team at B.R. Distilling spent two years working with Tonnellerie Radoux, a French wine cooperage, to determine the correct type and amount of toasted French oak staves used in the finishing process.

 

“This unique expression combines the unmistakable boldness of Blue Note Bourbon with the sophistication of the finest, toasted French oak crafted from an artisan cooperage in Central-Val de Lore. [It is] the unforgettable intersection of notes that embodied the inherent spirit of The Blues. The sound and movement of The Blues were meant to break the rules. This is Blue Note Crossroads. We mark our crossroads with the intersection of American and French oak.” – B.R. Distilling Company

 

Blue Note Crossroads carries no age statement and uses MGP’s 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley recipe. It is non-chill filtered and packaged at 100°, and you can expect to pay around $40.00 for a 750ml bottle.

 

Before I get started on my tasting notes, I must thank B.R. Distilling for providing a sample of Crossroads in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious!

 

Appearance:  Served neat in my Glencairn glass, Crossroads appeared as a deep, orange-amber. A medium rim released slow, straight legs that fell back to the pool.

 

Nose: The first thing I smelled was corn. But, beneath that was cherry, vanilla, dry leather, and cinnamon. When I took the air inside my mouth, I felt as if I was sucking on a cinnamon stick.

 

Palate: The texture was massively oily. I tasted cinnamon spice, nutmeg, and roasted almonds on the front. Vanilla, raw honey, and English toffee formed the middle, with French oak, tobacco leaf, and leather on the back.

 

Finish:  Mildly spicy, the finish featured dry French oak, old leather, tobacco leaf, and raw honey. It went on, and on, and on, and on.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  $40.00 Bourbons are a dime a dozen. Seriously, this is lower-echelon of the sweet spot for craft American whiskey. The French oak influence was evident from the nose to the finish. However, it wasn’t overwhelming. Instead, it married the other notes gloriously. The mouthfeel was slick, the palate made perfect sense, and the Energizer bunny finish never let you forget what you were drinking. I enjoyed this immensely. The outlay is more than fair. Blue Note Crossroads is a perfect example of the recipe needed to earn my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.